My "Jobs" ....

School is out for the Summer! Whoo hoo!! I have been very involved this past school year with Josh being in Kindergarten. I attended one teensy, weensy PTA meeting at the beginning of the school year (on the very first day of school to be exact), and before you know it, I was: Teacher Appreciation Week Coordinator, Room K-2's room mother, A weekly volunteer in K-2's classroom (4 hrs/week!), Fill-in photographer for the yearbook, Nominee for PTA Vice-President for 2010-11 school year.

Phew! I was exhausted by those few jobs. Plus, I still had to get Maddie to and from ballet and tap once a week, take Josh to swim lessons 2 times a week, soccer practice 1 time a week and games (on Saturdays this past Fall).

I am now in the process of getting my Daisy Scout Troop together for August, and petrified of my new "job" as PTA VP (ie, Fundraising Chair) for this coming school year. Not to mention the normal volunteering in the classrooms for mostly Maddie's K teacher, and maybe occasionally for Josh's as well.

With all of these non-paying "jobs" I have on my plate, I still love love love my job as a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM - I hate that acronym!). When Ryan questions my "job" I respond, "being home with the kids is really a full-time gig, and that although no amount of money could cover all the talents I have -- I prefer to be paid in hugs and kisses from my favorite little bosses!!" I wear a multitude of hats as the CEO of our family: I am Mom, Wife, Sister, Sister-in-law, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, Aunt, Short-order Cook, Chauffeur, Housekeeper (ick, my least favorite), Laundry gal, Nurturer, Singer, Mediator, Dog feeder, Boo-boo healer, and it goes on and on ....

So lately I have been questioning all of these jobs that I have taken upon myself to oversee. Nine years ago, before we had kids, were just "Ryan and Caryn". How boring life must have been! (I really don't remember!!) Today my life is really "full" .... not just of "jobs" but full in the sense that I feel complete. I am blessed to have a wonderful, supportive husband who works (literally) day and night to make sure that we are all taken care of, and three great children that I am proud (most days!) to call mine. I love when I tuck them in at night and give good-night kisses, they look up at me with those angelic exhausted faces and say "I love you Mommy". That, to me, is the BEST "pay" I could ever ask for.